The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a system and method of displaying information about an item by an electronic display.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail or shelf channel along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) data file.
Store associates must perform routine tasks throughout the store and require information to support operation of the store. Associates use information such as plan-o-gram information, sales information, and stock information.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of displaying information about an item including plan-o-gram information, sales information, and stock information by an EPL to assist a store associate. It would also be desirable for the system to automatically display the information when the store associate is near the EPL.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method of displaying information about an item by an electronic display, such as an electronic price label (EPL) is provided.
One embodiment of the system includes a display, a memory including a first memory location containing first display information and a second memory location containing second display information, and control circuitry which receives the radio frequency signal from a portable transmitter and displays the second information from the second memory location in response to the radio frequency signal. The control circuitry additionally senses a loss of the radio frequency signal and displays the first information from the first memory location in response to the loss of the radio frequency signal.
One embodiment of the method includes the steps of displaying first information from a first memory location in an electronic price label, receiving a radio frequency signal from a portable transmitter, and displaying second information from a second memory location in the electronic price label. The method may additionally include the steps of sensing a loss of the radio frequency signal, and displaying the first information from the first memory location in response to the loss of the radio frequency signal.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of displaying information about an item by an electronic display.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of automatically displaying information about an item by an EPL when a store associate is near the EPL.
It is another object of the present invention to store business information in a secondary data location within an EPL and display the contents of the secondary data location when a triggering RF signal is near the EPL.